Refrigerated display case



Oct 16 A. R. WINGARD ET AL REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE Filed March 31. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tz az. K

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ANDREW R. WINGARD AND GUNNAR WINGARD, 0F TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

REFRIGERATE DISPLAY CASE.

Application filed March 31, 1922. Serial No. 548,468.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that .ANDREW RICHARD \VINeA'nn and GUNNAR WINGARD, citizens of the United States, and residentsof Washington, in the city of Tacoma and county of Pierce, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Refrigerated Display Cases, of which the following is a specification. I

The primary purpose of the present invention is to effect a continuous circulation of cool air within a counter or caseof the.

display type, to the end that meat or any other perishable products displayed within the case may be kept fresh and in good condition.

Another purpose of the invention is .to insure circulation of air to all parts of the" interior of the case by directing the air currents in opposite directions from a central point in the case to the opposite ends thereof.

Another purpose of the invention is toprovide an economical and efficient display case structure, wherein the cooling medium and the housing containing the same are located exteriorly of the display case proper, and connected therewith by suitable air passages to provide for the necessary circulation of cooled air:

Other objects of the invention, as well as the particular combination, construction and arrangement of parts comprising. the same, will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig.1 is a perspective view of a display case constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view with portions of the display case and cooling chamber removed to disclose interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modification and;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cooling coil.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, and more particularly; to the form of invention illustrated in igs. 1 and 2, numeral 5 designates a substantially rectangular base member forming the bottom wall of a display case 6. The case 6 is preferably provided with transparent front and end walls 7 and 8, and non-transparent top and rear walls 9 and 10, the rear wall 10 being preferably constructed to provide either inged or sliding closures of conventional type through which access may be obtained to the interior of .the case.

An air cooling chamber, designated by the numeral 11, is supported on the top wall 9 at a point intermediate the ends of the case and may be constructed as a substantially integral part of said top wall or as an attachment thereto. This chamber affords a housing for a cooling coil 12 having an inlet 13 and an outlet 1 1 depending downwardly into the case 6 and passing outwardly through the base member 5 for connection with any suitable refrigerant circulating system. I

A continuous circulation of cool air between the cooling chamber 11 and the case 6 is afforded through the medium of the air flues or passages designated, respectively, by thenumerals 15, 16 and 17 The central air flue or passage 16 serves to conduct cooled air from the chamber ll'into the case 6 and consists preferably of a rectangular casing 16 depending from the cooling chamber into the display case and terminating a short distance above the base member 5. It will thus be seen that the air pass ing through this flue is discharged into the case 6 at. a substantially central point therein and passes, in oppositely moving currents, toward the ends of the case. The heated air arising at the ends of the case is deflected inwardly by the top wall 9 and flows toward the central portion of the case, being returned to the chamber 11 through the passages 15 and 17. These latter passages are formed by the provision of deflecting plates 18 located within the chamber 11 on opposite sides of the fine 16 and in spaced relation with the end walls of the chamber. The lower ends of these deflectors 18 are extended downwardly into the display case and directed toward the ends of the latter, as at 19, so as to have a scoop-like effect on the currents of air impinging thereagainst to more readily direct such air into the cooling chamber.

As shown to advantage in Fig. 2, the base member 5 is approximately twice the width of the case 6 and projects a considerable distance beyond the rear wall of the latter to afi'ord a shelf 20, which may be rovided at its ends with vertical walls 21. it a suitable int, preferably opposite the cooling cham er 16, the shelf 20 has secured thereon, a platform 22 which serves to support a weighing scale 23 having the indicating portion 24 thereof projecting above the to of the cooling chamber so as to be visible rom infront of the case.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 3,.

ed downwardly through an opening in the top of the case to a point in proximity to the bottom wall of the case. .The end flues 7 and 9 have only theinn'er walls thereof extended downwardly into the interior of the case, these walls being directed toward the ends of the case to serve as air scoops for defleeting heated air into the chamber 6. The upper edges of the fines 7 and 9 are extended upwardly within the cooling chamber 6 in spaced relation with the end walls of the chamber to terminate slightly below the top wall of the chamber, whereby air entering these flues will be carried to the extreme top of the cooling chamber .before coming in contact with the cooling coil 12. Also, in this form of the invention, the inlet and outlet portions of the cooling coil may be extended outwardly through the rear wall of the cooling chamber instead of being carried downwardly through the display case as described in connection with the previous figures.

It will be understood that our.invention contemplates the use of any suitable cooling coil, but preferably, we make use in this connection of a single length of pipe bent to present a plurality of substantially parallel rectangular coils 12 as shown to advantage in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have provided an efiicient, economical and extremely simple type of refrigerating display case which is particularly adapted to keep fresh and in good condition. such perishable articles as may be displayed therein. In both forms of the invention, the cooled air from the cooling. chamber is discharged into' the display case at a point intermediate the ends of the latter and in close proximity to the bottom Wall thereof, whereby oppositely moving currents of air are set up to pass from the center of the case to the opposite ends thereof, thus insuring an adequate supply of air to all parts of the case.

In the fore oing we have disclosed what we now consi er to be the preferred embodiments of our invention, but it is to be understood that we do not desire to limit ourselves to the exact construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, as it is obvious that various modifications could be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is:

1. The combination with a display case of a superimposed casing, an intermediate flue surrounding a central opening in the bottom of the casingand depending down- -wardly through the top of the display case to a point adjacent to the bottom of said case, end flues spaced from the intermediate flue and establishing communication between the display case and the end portions of the casing, the inner walls of said end flues being arranged 'to definean intervenin cooling compartment in the casing and being spaced from the top wall of the casing, the lower edges of said end walls being disposed within the display case and inclined in opposite directions to provide integral air deflecting scoops.

2. The combination with a display case presenting a top wall provided with a central inlet opening and with outlet openings arranged on opposite sides of the inlet opening in spaced relation thereto, of a superimposed casing presenting a bottom wall spaced from the top wall of the display case and provided with a central outlet opening opposing the central inlet opening in the display case, an intermediate flue surrounding said central outlet opening and depending downwardly through the central inlet opening in the display case to a point in proximity to the bottom of said case, said casing being further provided with depending end flues extending downwardly through the outlet openings in the display case, the inner Walls of said end flues being extended upwardly into the casing to define an intervening cooling compartment and being directed downwardly into the display case and inclined in op osite directions to provide integral air de ecting scoops.

In testimony whereof We hereunto afiix our signatures.

A. R. WINGARD. GUNNAR WINGARD. 

